End of an era: New Old Lompoc to close April 28
Published: Saturday, March 10, 2012, 7:07 AM Updated: Sunday, March 11, 2012, 5:26 PM
John Foyston, Special to The Oregonian By John Foyston, Special to The Oregonian

They're getting ready for the Lompocalypse --- a week of parties that ends on April 28 when the historic pub closes and will be razed for something shiny and new. (The other four Lompoc pubs --- Fifth Quadrant, Sidebar, Hedge House and Oaks Bottom are unaffected and will remain open.) The New Old Lompoc was never shiny and new, having opened in the 1990s in a building that was already vintage stock, to put it kindly, and which restaurateurs Goforth and Rice named after the hotel in the classic W.C. Fields movie, "The Bank Dick."

Instead, the NOL was one of the last bits of funkiness on an ever-more-trendy 23rd Avenue, and bless it for that. Lompoc owner Jerry Fechter and his brewers and friends will be at the old brewery today brewing a double IPA called Lompocalypse for the party scheduled for the NOL's last week, and I'll post photos later of the event.

I'll have details of the last week as they're confirmed and a story on the Living cover of The Oregonian as the time draws closer. Meanwhile, here's what I wrote back in 1997 when the New Old Lompoc was the newest thing in town.

IS OLD NEW, OR NEW OLD AT OLD LOMPOC HOUSE?

After a couple of pints of Bourbon Street Bitter, a person could become a tad confused about why the Old Lompoc House came after the New Old Lompoc House, which was named after the original Old Lompoc House.

Which didn't exist, really.

It's simple: the first Old Lompoc House figured prominently in W.C. Fields' 1941 film "The Bank Dick.'' It inspired the name of the New Old Lompoc House, which was restaurateur Pete Goforth's favorite hangout during his college days three decades ago at what was then Portland State College.

"It was a great place,'' Goforth says. "It was one of those taverns in the area that had a line out the door. Our place has a very comparable feel -- if you'd been to the old place, you'd feel right at home.''

Don't be deceived by the Northwest 23rd Avenue address, either -- the Old Lompoc lives up to its inheritance by being old, comfortable and about as glitzy as a well-worn sofa. Which is a close approximation of the gas-lit, tumbledown, legendarily unpretentious New Old Lompoc House, razed 30 years ago during urban renewal.

Only the beer taps would give it away. Instead of Hamms, they dispense Lompoc Golden Ale, Bourbon Street Bitter and Erst Fest. It's the latest enterprise undertaken by Goforth and Rice Restaurants, which operates seven restaurants in the Portland area and -- out in back of the Old Lompoc -- one brewery. ``Brewing is very natural for us to get into,'' Goforth says. ``Somehow, when you're 57, brewing beer seems much more fun than making cocktails.''

Though the company opened the Old Lompoc a couple of years ago, the brewery had to wait while two bars and the kitchen were finished. Given that the old building was not easily adaptable to a brewery, they opted to build a small new structure in the back courtyard of the restaurant.

Since the days of the Old Lompoc are limited -- the property owner will eventually bulldoze the building and build offices on the lot -- the new brewery favors efficiency over showiness. As simply constructed as it is, the new brewery wasn't ready to roll until mid-December, says brewer Jerry Fechter.

"We had things like a plumbing inspector whose previous job was looking at the piping at Henry Weinhard's,'' Fechter says. ``So when he saw the way we did things, he thought a lot of things were wrong.''

Just different, as it turns out -- the brewery consists of two small rooms with a walk-in cooler, so even the seven-barrel fermenter is mounted on wheels to make the most of space.

And a sip of Lompoc beer will convince people that the brewery works fine. Fechter's first brew was Erst (German for first) Fest, which blends five grains plus Hallertau and Cascade hops. He went on to make Bourbon Street Bitter, Lompoc Golden and a delicately flavored apricot wheat ale, all of which display to one degree or another Fechter's penchant for a crisp beer.

"I'm a dry, crisp beer guy,'' he says. "I'm not a fan of huge malty beers. I think things have been moving away from hoppy beers recently, but that's what I like.''

Turns out the boss is happy, too. "I'm ecstatic,'' Goforth says. "As a lifelong Hamms drinker, I like micros for the array of flavors and styles, but as a relatively new microbrew drinker, I still prefer the lighter beers. Our customers love it, too -- they've already run us out of the Golden. Now comes the difficult part, which is making the second batch taste like the first.''

When the brewery gets up to a comfortable 40 barrels per month, it'll supply beer for all the Goforth and Rice restaurants. Even if the Old Lompoc's future is uncertain, the future of brewing at Goforth and Rice is not: Pete Goforth has at least two more locations that'd be perfect for breweries.

But beer and ambience are not the only elements of a good neighborhood tavern: Good burgers are also vital. The Old Lompoc makes several varieties, accompanied by thick, hand-cut fries or a salad. The menu also includes a wide selection of sandwiches, good onion rings, a dozen appetizers, several salads and what was recently voted as Oregon's best clam chowder.

Add in the busy pool table, comfortable, woody interior and the vintage photos and tin signs on the wall, and you've got a blessed respite from trendiness. Goforth likes the Old Lompoc for all those reasons and one more.

"Brewing is great -- I've been running restaurants for 25 years, but out in the brewery is the first time I've been able to use anything I learned while getting a degree in engineering.''

The Portland Design Commission gave its final approval to the Milano Apartments yesterday. It is a 6 story, 60 unit work force housing building at 1st and Multnomah in the Lloyd/Rose Quarter area. The architects is Ankrom Moisan and the developer is Civitas. I think I heard they are planning to start construction the 6th of January.

They definitely have started on this - drove by today and it was all fenced off with work going on. Just up Multnomah on the other side of I5 from the Rose Garden. The site was previously a surface parking lot. Pic from Ankrom's website:

With a 2.9 percent vacancy rate, Portland’s Hollywood District is ripe for development of rental housing. Developer Creston Homes and Myhre Group Architects are teaming up for a couple of 47-unit apartment building projects in the district – Hollywood Apartments is now under construction and 41@Tillamook Apartments is in the permitting phase.

For the latter, developer David Mullens of Creston Homes is planning to replace a surface parking lot and a commercial building on Tillamook Street between 41st and 42nd avenues with a four-story apartment building. The project is expected to not only meet a growing need for rental units, but also for an aging population.

But some residents are concerned that the two projects – within just a few blocks of each other – will result in more traffic and constrain parking in an area that already lacks it.

“Parking and traffic in this part of the city is dicey at best,” said Jo Schaefer, chairwoman of the Hollywood Neighborhood Association. “There will be overflow and some angry neighbors; that’s just the way it’s going to go.”

However, for 41@Tillamook, the project team is hoping to attract a mix of “transit-friendly” tenants – career-starters who bike or use the 42nd Avenue MAX station three-tenths of a mile away; and older residents who do not have cars. To accommodate this tenant blend, the design calls for a public bicycle work station as well as a laundry list of accessibility features to accommodate people with disabilities.

“I think Hollywood is a great little neighborhood and you don’t need a car,” Mullens said.

He initially envisioned an even larger building for the site, which is directly across from the Multnomah County Library on Tillamook Street. But the cost of excavating a basement on the city right-of-way was prohibitive, according to Mullens, so the project was reduced from five stories to four, with approximately 23,000 square feet of residential space.

Even at a smaller size, 41@Tillamook will cost more than other Creston Homes developments, Mullens said, although he did not disclose an estimate. Universal design goals – an elevator, in particular – added to the price tag.

“It’s definitely more expensive than what we’re used to doing, but (universal design) is something we want to start doing more of anyway,” he said. “That neighborhood right there in that spot is the perfect place to start.”

City Commissioner Amanda Fritz, a member of the Portland Commission on Disability, said there is a definite need for more accessible rental units.

“Finding living space is one of the biggest challenges for people – even those who can afford to pay more can’t find accessible units,” she said.

Dozens of features planned for 41@Tillamook would increase livability for disabled residents and visitors, although Myhre Group principal Don Sowieja said that aspect of the design is still in its early stages.

In its application for transit-oriented development tax abatements, which requires developments to include “public benefits” such as accessibility features, the project team lists nearly 50 universal design features that may be included, such as lever handles – rather than twisting doorknobs – throughout the building; interior spaces wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs; and height considerations for light switches, plugs and other controls.

The tax abatements also require that some of the units are available to people earning 60 percent of the area’s median family income. Ten of the units at 41@Tillamook will meet the affordability standards, with preliminary rent estimates ranging from $648 for a studio; $670 for a one-bedroom unit; and $800 for a two-bedroom unit.

Hollywood District residents continue to wonder, however, whether their new neighbors will actually move in without cars.

“We want more housing; it will be nice to have more people living in the neighborhood,” Schaefer said. “At the same time, it just somehow feels like it’s not very well thought out. More people are going to be driving into the neighborhood, and we’re left with a bit of a puzzle because there is already a lack of parking.”

Urban Development Partners is planning to build a 31-unit mixed-use apartment complex at 3339 S.E. Division St. The project will feature units 420 to 570 square feet and bike storage in lieu of vehicle parking. (Rendering courtesy of THA Architecture)

One way to build apartments for a reasonable price is to simply make them smaller.

At least that’s the plan behind Portland-based Urban Development Partners’ newest project: a four-story, mixed-used apartment building at 3339 S.E. Division St.

“There is quite a bit of larger-unit product in the area, much of which Joe Weston built years ago, so renters already have options in inner east side for larger units,” Eric Cress, a UDP principal, said via email. “We are filling the need for smaller units, for singles and couples, which is not currently being satisfied by the existing inventory.”

The 31,000-square-foot building will feature 31 studio or one-bedroom apartments. Though those units will be market rate, they will range in size from 420 to 570 square feet. In addition, the building will have four small office spaces and ground-floor retail space.

Cress said he couldn’t comment on whether the company had already leased those commercial spaces, but he expressed confidence that the project would work because of the success of two other UDP projects in the neighborhood: a 24-unit, mixed-use apartment building at 3810 S.E. Division St., and a 13-unit, mixed-use apartment complex at 3103 S.E. Division St. Both buildings are generally remaining fully leased.

“There’s really not anything all that new over there that’s reasonable,” he said. “I think with construction costs being what they are, I would believe that it’s probably a product that’s in need. As long as they can keep the price point for the rentals down, they’re going to do quite well.”

UDP wouldn’t say the cost it anticipates per square foot; however, the average price in the area is approximately $1.10 per square foot for one-bedroom apartments, and approximately $1.55 per square foot for studio apartments, according to the Portland State University Center for Real Estate’s most recent quarterly report on multifamily properties.

Gerald Mildner, the center’s director, said he formerly lived near Southeast Division Street and that he thinks the corridor is following in the footsteps of the Hawthorne area.

“(Southeast Division) is a market that changed in the 14 years that we lived there …” he said. “Over time, more and more of those single-family rentals became owner-occupied, and the market prices appreciated very rapidly. And that in turn has led for the periodic construction of some pretty high-end apartment and condo projects.”

Late last year, the Beverly Condominiums – a 54-unit, Class A building in the Hollywood District – sold for $29 million, according to the PSU report. Other 30-something-unit, inner-city Portland apartment complexes have sold consistently for approximately $3 million, according to research by Winkler and Dupont. UDP purchased its Southeast Division property in May 2011 for $645,000, according to Portlandmaps.

UDP isn’t the only developer showing interest in the area. News broke last week that Miami-based Urban Development Group is planning to construct a four-story, 82-unit apartment building at Southeast Division Street and 37th Avenue.

That project drew fire from neighborhood residents because the plan doesn’t include parking. Neither does UDP’s plan for the 3339 S.E. Division St. project.

“We have met with the Richmond Neighborhood Association and I would say that there is a pretty consistent concern among single-family dwelling owners about parking,” said Neeley Wells of UDP. She added that the company plans to work with neighbors to address those worries.

Robin Wilcox of THA Architecture Inc., the project’s designer, said the facility will have 45 bicycle spaces inside and 10 spaces outside.

Allen Field, Richmond Neighborhood Association co-chairman, said the group has not taken an official stance on the project; however, parking is a contentious issue.

“Some people welcome the new restaurants and businesses on Division; some people are in favor of the increased density along transit corridors like Division, while others are not; and often, the nearby neighbors express their concern about the impact on parking and livability when these buildings do not provide parking, which they’re not required to do,” he wrote in an email. “Division is certainly going through a lot of changes.”

Wilcox said the building will feature flow-through planters for stormwater management, low-flow and high-efficient appliances, and green rooftops. He said the team is targeting a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design platinum rating.

The exterior facade will feature a mixture of stucco and fiber cement materials, as well as patios that open up onto Southeast Division Street. Wilcox said the building will wrap around an interior courtyard.

“That is to deal with the mass of the building, but also to bring light and air into the units so that most units have two sides that have operable windows,” Wilcox said.

Wells said UDP plans to tear down a former scooter repair and retail shop on the property so that construction can start. The company recently filed for a building permit, and Wells said it hopes to begin work by June.

Mildner said rising rental prices were making studio and one-bedroom apartments an increasingly attractive option in Southeast Portland.

^ Nice. Replaces 2 one-story, mid-century houses (albeit one has been converted to commercial). I'm really liking what UDP has been doing for Division. I'm not a fan of the current obviously-designed-on-computer architecture movement, kinda' reminds me of Tetris blocks, but definitely welcome in my opinion.

As for the Weird Bar location (Division & 37th), I haven't seen a rendering, but the density and bike parking is welcome as well (I live in the neighborhood).

420 to 570 square feet is an excellent size for a studio, especially if the space is laid out well. My current loft is 580 square feet, and it's awesome, size wise, but my previous lofts actually felt bigger even though they were 515 sq/ft and 480 sq/ft. It's all about the windows and the shape of the space.

Something else to keep in mind: smaller spaces are far more likely to attract urbanites who choose to live car-free. I'm one of them.

420 to 570 square feet is an excellent size for a studio, especially if the space is laid out well. My current loft is 580 square feet, and it's awesome, size wise, but my previous lofts actually felt bigger even though they were 515 sq/ft and 480 sq/ft. It's all about the windows and the shape of the space.

Something else to keep in mind: smaller spaces are far more likely to attract urbanites who choose to live car-free. I'm one of them.

I had 380 sqft in San Diego, and it wasn't that bad. It would have been nice to have more, but for the price in the neighborhood I can't complain too much.

McMenamins is considering a plan to convert a historic Masonic lodge in North Portland into a 46-room boutique hotel. Mount Hood Masonic Lodge No. 157, located on North Commercial Avenue, has been vacant since a 1982 arson wreaked havoc on the interior. (Photo by Sam Tenney/DJC)

McMenamins is looking into the possibility of turning an old, burned-out Masonic lodge in North Portland into a boutique hotel.

Mount Hood Masonic Lodge No. 157 is at 5308 N. Commercial Ave., adjacent to McMenamins’ Chapel Pub. The company envisions joining the two properties by converting the paved parking lot between them into a lush garden with an outdoor spa, a garden bar and a sitting area.

Mario Espinosa, an architect with Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects, said the concept is subject to design review and public input. A pre-application conference is scheduled for April 11.

The 16,245-square-foot building was constructed in 1923 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was designed by Sutton and Whitney, a once notable Oregon architecture firm, and stands out in the neighborhood with a Colonial Revival-style brick facade. And like other McMenamins properties, its history has flair.

With Portland's tight rental housing market continuing to push new construction projects, Sierra Construction of Washington has announced it will break ground on the 155-unit Prescott Apartments on North Interstate Avenue and Prescott Street on Wednesday, April 4.

The $29 million project will have 98,000 square feet of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments and 9,500 square feet of ground floor retail space. The U-shaped building will be five stories with one six-story wing along Interstate. It will sit directly across from the Prescott Street MAX light-rail stop. The building will have 111 parking stalls.

Developer Prescott Apartments LLC expects units to rent from $900 to $1,800 a month, depending on the size.

The building joins a handful of mid-rise buildings in the corridor including, the subsidized Killingsworth Station project completed last year.

Suzy Tangen of Sierra Construction believes the area is well positioned for continued growth.

"We think it’s an underserved market," Tangen said. "It's right on the light rail line in an attractive, upcoming neighborhood. It's only three stops from the downtown core."

The company is also building a New Seasons Market about a mile to the east on North Williams Avenue.

Sierra originally bought the block bordered by Interstate, Prescott, Skidmore Street and Maryland Avenue in 2008, shortly before the collapse of the real estate market. The land was subsequently sold to Prescott Apartments LCC. A group of single-family homes that occupied the block were used as practice houses for Portland Fire and Rescue in 2009.